Both Batteries Dead 2020 Gladiator $898 to replace!?!???

[ShadowsPapa]

Yep. MagCode magnetic connectors. I added then to two vehicles already.

There ya go, folks. I bet I saw one your other posts where you mentioned these. I knew they existed, have seen them. I suspect your posts are what made them more fresh in my mind.

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[rr11]

I was at my dealer today and ask the Service Advisor how much to replace both batteries and he said $450 to 500 he would have to check but he thought 1 and 1/2 hours labor.

 

[Blade1668]

Hmmm to think yesterday I started hooking battery chargers on a few of the batteries I have recharging them. Some clown cut battery cables on my LJ awhile back shorting out it's battery, the battery is just 5 years old now. My marine dual duty Optima battery I stuck back in is over 10 years old, it was charged to 75% according to Optima battery charger. Two other batteries on chargers now and a red top on solar controlled panel. One of my red tops I doubt is going to last much longer one terminal is coming loose but I've had it since somewhere around 99-02 it had 10.5v after setting in my 91 XJ for last decade plus and charged off n on since I moved it from GA. in 2017.

 

[Orange01z28]

the fing little motorcycle battery is just there to keep the float charge with engine off higher. Instead of upgrading the PCM to handle the drop in voltage they added a second battery during ESS events.

People have been completely removing them and bypassing them as a good main battery handles it fine.

You have a link to instructions or a schematic?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

the fing little motorcycle battery is just there to keep the float charge with engine off higher. Instead of upgrading the PCM to handle the drop in voltage they added a second battery during ESS events.

People have been completely removing them and bypassing them as a good main battery handles it fine.

Electronics are electronics. Upgrade to handle lower voltage?
The aux handles more than the PCM.

They run everything off aux in an ESS stop event and leave the crank battery for cranking. They don't want the electrics of the system taking the crank battery down low enough it won't crank and start the engine again (although it takes very little for an ESS start on these)

They monitor the aux battery and restart the engine when it gets too low.

You don't want to be trying to crank it for a restart if the crank battery gets as low as the aux battery can get...........

 

[@californiajeeping]

Electronics are electronics. Upgrade to handle lower voltage?
The aux handles more than the PCM.

They run everything off aux in an ESS stop event and leave the crank battery for cranking. They don't want the electrics of the system taking the crank battery down low enough it won't crank and start the engine again (although it takes very little for an ESS start on these)

They monitor the aux battery and restart the engine when it gets too low.

You don't want to be trying to crank it for a restart if the crank battery gets as low as the aux battery can get...........

The small AUX battery is basically a capacitor or surge suppressor for the vehicle electronics. They clearly had an issue during development and added this second battery to handle vehicle off sitting electronics.

The correct way to fix it would be to add a larger main battery and get the electronics updated to handle the constant cycle of voltage.

The ESS was added in leiu of a BSG on the wranglers - belt starter generator on our platform. The BSG had some serious problems and so did the E-torque garbage. The high voltage batteries were catching fire during testing which is why they added coolant cycling through them. That option got dropped and instead we ended up with a "added on" ESS.

The battery should be a group 31 AGM style from the factory and the electronics (PCM/TCM/BCM u connect all that should have additional capacitors or small lithium batteries or something to keep settins through a low voltage event.

 

[jebiruph]

The small AUX battery is basically a capacitor or surge suppressor for the vehicle electronics. They clearly had an issue during development and added this second battery to handle vehicle off sitting electronics.

The correct way to fix it would be to add a larger main battery and get the electronics updated to handle the constant cycle of voltage.

The ESS was added in leiu of a BSG on the wranglers - belt starter generator on our platform. The BSG had some serious problems and so did the E-torque garbage. The high voltage batteries were catching fire during testing which is why they added coolant cycling through them. That option got dropped and instead we ended up with a "added on" ESS.

The battery should be a group 31 AGM style from the factory and the electronics (PCM/TCM/BCM u connect all that should have additional capacitors or small lithium batteries or something to keep settins through a low voltage event.

The 2 battery ESS system predates the Wrangler by a couple years and is an upgrade to the 1 battery system in the Cherokee that was stranding people in traffic when the single battery was not able to power a start after powering the stop. That's why the batteries are separated during the stops, the aux battery powers the stop saving the main battery to power the start.

 

[@californiajeeping]

The 2 battery ESS system predates the Wrangler by a couple years and is an upgrade to the 1 battery system in the Cherokee that was stranding people in traffic when the single battery was not able to power a start after powering the stop. That's why the batteries are separated during the stops, the aux battery powers the stop saving the main battery to power the start.

The proper way to fix this is still a larger main battery. They added this quite troublesome sub system when they simply could have made the main larger to accomodate ESS.

 

[HezzyJT]

So is there anyway to check beforehand? I’ve got a 2020 with 34,000 miles and no battery issues. Hate to go through the same thing as the OP.

I was hoping i wouldn’t have to experience this issue but i did this morning, my jeep is a 2020 model sport s with 32,200 miles on it, bought it July 2020 and everything was perfect right up until today, it wouldn't start at the first push button start then it jumped to the run position but it came up with a auto stop start system malfunction saying system disabled, btw i always disable the system when driving so it’s kinda crazy if it is the secondary battery would die that quick. so i started it and it turned on fine still flashing that auto stop start alert then i decided to turn off the jeep thinking its probably just a glitch coz its never happened before then it wouldn't start after that, so i took a reading at the battery which was 10.2 V so i thought the battery definitely needs a charge, so i had it jump charging for 10 mins, removed cables, it read 12.4V which is right in that area where it needs to be, still won't start, it’s not even cracking, all u hear is one click sound then it turns off, tried remote starting it, same thing, but now the break pedal is stiff as a rock, tried pressing really hard on the pedal and still wasn’t able to start then after checking relays and swapping the starter relay, still didn’t solve the problem so i had to get it towed to the dealership to test/replace that secondary battery since its behind a bunch of stuff and i’d rather them do it since i’m still under the 36K mile warranty mark.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

but it came up with a auto stop start system malfunction saying system disabled, btw i always disable the system when driving so it’s kinda crazy if it is the secondary battery would die that quick.

Nothing to do with anything - so you disable it. The main battery could well be the issue at over 3 years old. That's really pretty good life out of these.

so i had it jump charging for 10 mins, removed cables, it read 12.4V which is right in that area where it needs to be,

Jump charging? Not good on batteries and not a good way to charge.
12.4 is only voltage as rest - nothing to do with the load it can handle - capacity, amperage.
12.4 isn't where it needs to be - a fully charged AGM is 12.7-12.8 and 12.4 is just over half charged. That's a problem.

The battery in my Eagle was charged at 12.6 (normal for the battery I had in it) but once I hit the key or even lights, it dropped to under 11 real fast.
I could charge it and get voltage up, but first try at doing anything and it was toast again. No capacity, no amperage coming out of it.

Be prepared for replacing the main battery.

Sorry but it sounds like you've been reading bad info on the internet.
Not sure why you bothered swapping relays and that sort of thing.
You had very very obvious battery issues from the get-go. Nothing else.
Generally speaking when one goes, the other isn't far behind. And it's a craps shoot as to whether or not the main one goes first, then the aux battery.
I've got to question where the 12.4 "were it needs to be" comes from.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

I was hoping i wouldn’t have to experience this issue but i did this morning, my jeep is a 2020 model sport s with 32,200 miles on it, bought it July 2020 and everything was perfect right up until today, it wouldn't start at the first push button start then it jumped to the run position but it came up with a auto stop start system malfunction saying system disabled, btw i always disable the system when driving so it’s kinda crazy if it is the secondary battery would die that quick. so i started it and it turned on fine still flashing that auto stop start alert then i decided to turn off the jeep thinking its probably just a glitch coz its never happened before then it wouldn't start after that, so i took a reading at the battery which was 10.2 V so i thought the battery definitely needs a charge, so i had it jump charging for 10 mins, removed cables, it read 12.4V which is right in that area where it needs to be, still won't start, it’s not even cracking, all u hear is one click sound then it turns off, tried remote starting it, same thing, but now the break pedal is stiff as a rock, tried pressing really hard on the pedal and still wasn’t able to start then after checking relays and swapping the starter relay, still didn’t solve the problem so i had to get it towed to the dealership to test/replace that secondary battery since its behind a bunch of stuff and i’d rather them do it since i’m still under the 36K mile warranty mark.

It's probably your big battery not the small one. Sounds exactly like What happened with mine and I was convinced it was the small battery but after getting into the dealership it was the big battery. Mine was at 54,000 miles and had a dead cell in it. Once they hook it to their machine they will be able to tell you which one. Mine was showing good charge on my end and at AutoZone and Advance but apparently the way I did it and AutoZone and advance does it isn't the best way to figure it out. Switch the big battery out and have not had another issue out of mine.

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